Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Greeting cards by Ryan and Breia Mallett from Brush And Mallett

Greeting cards and wedding invitations are always in demand, add a little bit of humor and artistic talent to it and it's a gem. I often see greeting cards on etsy, but there is one problem I keep on having with them, artwork. As an artist myself, I can't in all consciousness  give someone a card where an illustration looks a step above stick figure. The card itself might be really sweet or very funny, but the artwork itself is far from good. When I ran into Brush And Mallett shop, the artwork and the humor, both, captured my attention. The art was great, especially on those sweet, romantic wedding invitations. So, yes... I got exited and decided that you might like them as well...
Have I mentioned they are also eco-friendly? yep... that's right, my eco-mania is showing again. Can you blame me? These cards are not printed through some giant printer ether, they went through loving hands of their designers instead. Each card was cut, scored, fold, and corners clipped by hand. I remember in the good old days when I worked in Staples and our folding machine would break... oh the time it took to do it all by hand... And it's much more expensive to do as well since it's so time consuming. These cards haven't caught high price virus though, they are very cheap, only $3.50 each. For an eco-friendly, handmade card, and this price, it's a crime.

The minds behind these cards aren't only talented and have a funny bone, but they are also very nice and willing to work wit each and every buyer. Store policies are very easy to understand, and if you have any questions, you can always ask. Oh, and the shop also has 100% customer satisfaction.

Well, I'll go back to my own artwork before I procrastinate too much (yes, this is exactly what I am doing now) and you guys should really check out that giveaway I have going on...

Monday, May 30, 2011

Youtube For Learning and Selling

Youtube is a great tool. You can have a few laughs as well as learn something there. There are many videos on youtube showing how to do certain things. The drawing and painting tutorials are always helpful. You might think you already know how to draw it, but after watching a few videos you might find a few more tricks. You might simply find a new way to do something. You might figure out how to do it faster. Or you might decide to combine what you are already doing with what you have seen and develop a new way do draw or paint the same thing. Simple watching others paint helped me a lot in figuring out how to draw and paint realistically and it gave me ideas for my future projects.

You can also find new was to promote your art and how to add new gadgets to your site. I am not very good with programing for example. If I have to add something to my template, it's a disaster. It's always helpful to read how to do it, but to see it being done makes it ever easier.

Last but not least you can always promote yourself through youtube. There are many great artists who became very popular because of youtube. It takes some time to make a video, but it's worth it. People like to see the artist behind the art, youtube is a great way to give people what they want. Starting a youtube channel is very easy, so there really is no reason not to do it.

Call for Artists Eclectic Summer Showcase International Exhibition

1st annual Eclectic Summer Showcase International Exhibition [Juried] is calling for artists. organized by The Gallore Gallery in Middletown, Connecticut. Deadline is May 3. Artwork they are looking for includes sculptures, drawings, paintings,collages, & photography submitted work must not exceed 40" in any direction. Submission is $35.00 for 3 images $45 for 8 images. Winner[s] & selected will be notified on or before or on June 6th. You can find out more at Gallore Gallery website

And last but not least, my youtube channel is up and running and that means that so is my giveaway. You can enter the giveaway at Armada Volya's Art Corner. Good Luck

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Forgotten Fortune and Yummy Jewelry from Chellsea.

mmmm... ice cream. I can eat ice cream all day... now I can also wear it on my finger. If you don't like ice cream (what is wrong with you why wouldn't you like it?) there are other treats you can wear in Forgotten Treasures: burgers, cakes, donuts, cupcakes, you name it. Now just to show you how uncool my husband is, when I asked him what he thinks about ice cream ring he said "that's for fat people." I immediately retaliated by saying vegan ice cream made from coconut milk (my favorite) and raw cashew ice cream. Both perfectly healthy and much loved by your truly. As far as I can tell, that's chocolate coconut ice cream looking at me right now. Well... maybe not coconut... maybe polymer clay... Seriously though, these rings and earrings are so adorable, it makes me hungry.

Chellsea makes these yummy looking jewelry from polymer clay. There is something for every taste bud out there, so do stop by her shop and take a look. If you are on the diet, and don't want anything eadible looking, there are always polka dot bows and flags. It's inexpensive, so a little gift to yourself is always an option. 

To the sales part now... She is a very friendly seller with really easy policies. You can always send her a message is you have any questions. 100% customer satisfaction is there as well.

Friday, May 27, 2011

A Great Tool to Make Your Tweeter and Facebook Life Easy

I can't for the life of me remember to log in to twitter and Facebook and get my updates out there. I might do it once or twice a day, but I feel that it's not really enough with so much going on. I found one site that was scheduling tweets to be posted at a later date, and that worked really well for me. I still needed something for Facebook though. This is when I found out that Stumble has a tool just for me, it's su.pr and it's a life saver. It shortens URL as well as lets you schedule your tweets and Facebook updates at the same time. It limits the number of characters to 140 however since that's the limit on tweeter. Not only does it schedule as many tweets as you would like at the times you would like, it also lets you see how many people clicked on it within the first 15 minutes. This lets me figure out once are most popular and how to write better quality tweets. I highly recommend it, it's great.

For your viewing pleasure I posted one of my small paintings from Ancestor Spirit collection. I'll be giving it away some time soon. Will post here once it's up for grabs. Have I ever mentioned how much fun those giveaways are? That's what I've been tweeting about all evening, what giveaways I found and how much I love them btw.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

My Beloved Self. Because I Deserve It

I realized that Though I often talk about other artists, I don't really talk about myself much. I know it's kind of cool to be all mysterious, but I figured I'll tell you who I really am.

I was born in Ukraine in 1986, not long before Chernobyl accident. I got lucky, we went to the Middle East just a few days before the reactor melted, so I didn't get the huge dose of radiation like so many others. Naturally once my family learned about it, they had no desire to go back there. We were looking for better life, a better place and as a result ended up moving a lot. I lived in 6 countries and I don't even know if I can count how many towns and cities. US is actually the country where I wiled the longest, 8.5 years so far. Second place goes to Russia with 6 years.
Many people told me that I look Spanish (meaning South American), and even tried talking to me in Spanish. Didn't work all that well since I only speak Russian, Ukrainian and English. The reason I look Spanish is because of the mix of Russian, Tadzhik, Native American and a few other races in my blood. Tadzhik part is the main one to blame because the side of the family that is Native American looks more European by now. And don't even ask me how my Native American great grandma ended up in Kyrgyzstan, because I have no clue.

I wanted to be a shrink for a few years. Went to nursing school first with plans to go to medical school after. This was actually a good decision because by the end of nursing school I figured out it wasn't for me. I found art to be more healing. I was doing some kind of art or another my whole life without even realizing it. I actually thought I was bad at art for the most part. This was until I started taking pottery in college and realized that I can learn new skills very fast. Within just a few days I was able to make bottles on the potters wheel. All the little things I drew and painted started coming to mind, making me realize that although I might not be the best artist as far as realism goes (and as far as I'm concerned, the only way I'll ever be good enough in realism is if it looks like a photograph) I'm actually really good at abstract and surrealism. Most importantly my ability to learn fast allowed me to get better and better in no time. Looking at some of the "art" on displays in galleries I figured that I'm am actually rather good. Honestly, things that pass for art these days...

My journey through life and my own artistic path brought me to the stage in life where I spend 80 hours a week, sometimes more to create and promote. And a few more hours to convince my mum that I'm not just sitting home all day sleeping and that artists are actually making really good money and aren't all starving. I think the second part is harder then the first since my mum is even more stubborn than I am, and I'm really stubborn.

I'd like to add that my family made it very easy for me to choose my way in life (well, in a way, my mum still tries to make me go back to nursing school). Both my father and my mother are from well educated families that value knowledge. I had genetic advantage, since both my mother and my father are good at art and are very intelligent. Having thousands of books at my disposal and every encouragement to read them (my family had a huge private library) I learned to love good literature and was never intimidated by books. I consider myself a book addict who can easily buy 26 books in one day (I really needed to celebrate free comic book day). I only wish I had more time to read.

Now I live in Erie PA with my husband and two cats. Vincent (husband) is very supportive and helps me develop my skills. Cuteness (40lb cat filed with love from tail to ears) keeps me in line and reminds me to take frequent breaks from work to give him hugs. Monkey (crazy year old orange kitten with suicidal tendencies) gives me claw filled foot massages and reminds me to get fresh air by making me drag him back inside every time he walks on the wrong side of the rail around the balcony. 

I'll leave this self centered post on this note and will go read some blogs now.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Dave Bown Projects - 2nd Semiannual Competition

Another Competition for you guys if anyone wishes to enter. 25 artists will get tons of exposure and 7 will get $1000 each. Must be 18 or older to enter. Any medium and style is accepted. May 30th is the deadline for this competition. Entry fee is $40. You can find more information about it on Dave Brown Project website.


Jurors
Kashya Hildebrand
Galerie Kashya Hildebrand, Zurich

Daneyal Mahmood
Private Art Dealer, New York

Pete Surace
RARE, New York

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Marziat International Gallery, Best of 2011 Competition

Another deadline for another competition is coming up, May 29. Winners of this competition will have their work displayed in Marziart International Gallery in Hamburg, Germany, plus on their website. Mediums accepted are: paintings, photographies, drawings and prints (etching,monotype...) and sculptures. Categories are as follows: Landscape/Nature - Cityscape - Today Life/People - Still Life - Abstract. 
Juror:
Hans-Werner Wolf, photographer/ artist
Marion Zimmermann , painter/ gallery owner
Rainer Kranzusch, architect/ artist
Corinna Heuwer, Gallery owner 
Entry fee is $50 for 5 images and $8 for every additional image. 

Oh, and this painting right here is by Vincent Volya 

Monday, May 23, 2011

Depth of Meaning Exhibition

Submissions for Depth of Meaning exhibition is due May, 25. Not much time to submit by mail, but they do take online submissions as well, so you have time to get in if you wish. Any medium except video are acceptable. Submission fee is $20. Views average on 55,000 per month. This juried exhibition is presented by Caladan Gallery. Art can be submitted on Caladan Gallery site.

Was that the shortest post I've ever made or what?

Edith and Lulu, the Button Jewels

Jewelry made from buttons is something I actually have never seen before. It's one of those things where you hit yourself in the head asking why you never though of it. Buttons are so versatile, there are so many looks and shapes of them. You can realistically make jewelry for absolutely anyone. Edith and Lulu has tons of beautiful necklaces and earrings for every woman out there. This is exactly why I love etsy so much, you can find things you will not find anywhere else. Just looking through items from different sellers gives me so much inspiration. All this stunning jewelry for insanely low prices, all there, on etsy. Oh how I love it. And yes, prices in this shop are very low, anyone can afford it, even in our economy.

Now the sad news, this shop is actually not going to be around much longer, the jeweler is going back to school and science classes can take way too much time. Believe I know, been there, done that. Now on the brighter side, because the shop is closing, everything is 40% off. If you like the idea of button jewelry, and who doesn't and would like to get some for yourself or loved once, this is the time and the place. Get it before it's too late.

This shop was up and running since 2008 and has great reputation. There is absolutely no way you will be disappointed if you buy from there. Policies are perfectly clear and easy.

Now a question I asked myself while typing the post: "why when posting jewelry I seem to always pick necklaces?" Is it because I don't wear earrings or am I just discriminating?

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Abena Asomaningand Fair and Fauna shop

Abena Asomaningand is an etsian with a floral flair. I'm a sucker for nature, so I couldn't not review an artist who incorporates flowers into her artwork. I personally find graphic design to be a real pain, literally. It hurts my eyes to look at the screen when I draw and it takes me way too long. The way I dealt with it is the same exact way Abena does it. Draw it first by hand, color it on the computer. This actually benefits the final product, all the lines look much more organic but it clearly looks digital. You can see it on this piece here. Slightly imperfect edges on the flowers are making it look more real. In nature you will never find a perfect shape, everything is slightly of balance, lines are slightly warped. Digital paintings done with vector graphics especially have everything perfectly shaped. Combining something hand drawn with graphic design can bring interesting results however. Perfectly even color that can be achieved with the computer is especially important. There are just so many things that absolutely must have perfect colors, t-shirt designs being one of these. Combination and overlapping of the colors in photoshop (or gimp in my case) can bring to life interesting designs, as shown here on this piece. It also gives artist a lot of freedom to work with. I can't begin to tell you how many times a small mistake in a drawing or a painting cost me countless wasted hours. Computers can help with that. You can quickly change colors and pick the perfect combination. You can also customize for each and every customer. If for example I wanted this print but with red background to match my living room decor, it can be done. Hence the great advantage. This is exactly what Abena is doing. She can customize the drawing to have the exact color you want and keep you perfectly happy.

Soooooo... if you like Abena's artwork, do get it.

Now more about this seller. Since it's a brand new shop, there isn't really any feedback yet, but everyone has to start somewhere. Policies in this shop are very clear and to the point. Abena Asomaningand has a blog where you can get to know her better. She is also involved in local art communities. I have an impression that Abena is dedicated to what she does and will do what it takes to climb to the top, and that would include keeping customers happy.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Karen Cooper and Handmade Bags

Have I ever mentioned I love handmade bags? I'm sure I did, but just in case... Handmade bags are the best. There are just so many great bags you can find when shopping handmade, the sky is the limit. I believe I also mentioned that I love everything recycled. Koop Designs combines both of these together. Karen Cooper uses a lot of items that have seen better days and turns them into something absolutely beautiful. How do you like a bag made from cowboy boots? It looks beautiful and there is no way you'll find half the town having the same exact bag. I feel a little bad for the rest of the items in this shop because as beautiful as they are, purses seem to be taking all the spot light. Well, at least that's what happened when I wondered in. Do check out the other items though, dresses made from pillow cases would be a good outfit for a hot summer day for example.

I don't know about you, but I keep on buying boots that at first seem like a good pair that fits well, but after I wear them for the first time they don't look as good to me anymore. I ended up having a few pairs that I know I will never wear again, being tortured once by each pair is more then enough. If you have the same problem or simply have a pair of boots that have seen better days, you can send them to Karen and get a beautiful bag out of it. Or you can just go to a second hand store and find boots you love but would never wear and send those. Or you can buy two pair of boots and have one turned into a bag so that you'd have a pair of boots that match your bag perfectly. Or you can get an already made bag from Karen and, she does have beautiful bags ready to be shipped after all.

I have one little problem with this shop, I must admit. Here we go... the prices are too low. I have seen mass produced bags with a couple more zeroes at the end of the price tag, I'm sure you did too. These guys are handmade, each of them was designed individually and you will not see the same bag anywhere else. It's worth so much more in my opinion. I would love to see handmade items of such good quality and design selling for at least as much as the Gucci that produces millions of bags with the same exact design. If you ask me, one of a kind or very limited edition bags that are also handmade are a lot more valuable. So, for all you ladies out there, and gentlemen who would like to make a lady happy, if you would like a bag that's worth thousands for a fraction of a price, this is the shop for you.

This shop is also a very safe place to shop. You will get a good customer service and since the policies are clear cut, you will not have a problem figuring out how to pay, when to expect it or how to return if it's not what you for some reason aren't happy with what you got.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Jessica M. Lopez and the Fairytale World

Jessica M. Lopez is an artist who found her passion in fairytales and the painting of such. I often see watercolor paintings that don't look quite finished, another layer or two, more shadows and it would've been an incredible painting, but no such luck, they leave it as is and move on. As soon as I saw Jessica's work I saw that she takes her paintings to the end. They look sharp, finished, bright.

After looking at countless illustrations for children's books you get to expect certain characteristics, overall look and feel to the painting. Jessica Lopez managed to have her own very different style mixed into it. The overall dreamy feel of a fairytale illustration is there, it seems as if your usual illustration, and yet it is so different. The wolf for example on the painting shown here doesn't look like the one you would usually see, the trees aren't your usual trees either, turning and twisting like ropes, so unique, so different and yet so fairytale like. I feel like if a fairytale land existed, there would be a place like this. Although the painting is clearly a product of artists imagination, the quality of work makes it feel almost real.

Jessica M. Lopez uses watercolor with ink, which is a great combination, the two complement each other well. Another medium she uses is acrylic paint. For those unfamiliar with the medium, it can be a pain if you don't know how to use it. I've seen artists with beautiful oil paintings do a nightmarish job with acrylic paint. Jessica doesn't have a problem of this sort. She has even change in color throughout her acrylic paintings which is exactly the part that many artists can nail.

This wonderful dreamy shop has a 100% customer satisfaction, so you are in good hands with her. Policies are clean cut and very reasonable. Seller is opened to custom orders, so don't hesitate to ask. All in all a great shop to buy some prints for the kids room as well as the rest of the house.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Regina Therrien-Stock and her Wonderful Bags

Many years ago I got a jean bag, it was a mass produced one and had a very simple design. I had a lot of women come to me and ask where I got it, they loved the idea. That bag is long since destroyed, but the memory lives on. When I first entered this shop, these wonderful jean bags were the first thing that caught my eye. They are far from simple however, they are great. These bags were created and decorated by Regina herself, who often recycles old jeans to make a brand new bag. Don't know about you, but I love recycling and re-purposing. When given a choice, I'd rather buy something that has reused materials in it. Almost any woman can find a bag she likes in this shop.There are bags and purses of many styles and sizes, so it's not hard to find what you like. Trust me, if you have one of these, your friends will be begging you to tell them where you got it.

Regina started making bags because of how difficult it is to find a perfect bag. Honestly, I have the same problem, bag manufacturers don't seem to understand that we women want a good looking bag that can have tons of pockets and be easy to search through. I think almost every woman I know is looking exactly for that when buying a bag, why is it so hard for manufacturers to make what consumers want I don't know. Regina is out to fix this problem. She understands our needs, she'll rescue us from messy and boring bags.

Here is another problem I have with bags, they don't always match what I'm wearing. Since I usually wear jeans, these bags are perfect for almost every day.

A thought just occurred to me... maybe if I get my husband to get one of these bags for my mom... maybe she'll start liking him more... A little bribe never hurts right?

Regina Therrien-Stock has 100% customer satisfaction and has good, clear policies. Seller is very nice and helpful, so it's a good place to shop if you would like a good, smooth transaction with great customer service. If there is any specific function or look you would like for your bag, Regina is doing special orders, so it can be arranged.

Oh, almost forgot... She is also opened to trade, so, feel free to ask about a trade if you don't want to shed the money. 

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Homespun Loft for You and Your Fluffy Friend

Our best friends deserve to get their handmade goodies just as much as we do. In many cases they appreciate it more then humans. In The Homespun Loft you can find great items sewn specially for your beloved life companions. Something very small can make such a huge difference in an animal's life. I have two wonderful cat friends, Cuteness and Monkey.  Monkey has a very close bound with his sweater. We found him a few month ago, beaten, starved, ridden with every parasite you can imagine. He was so weak he couldn't regulate his body temperature. I made him a sweater so that he would be able to stay warm in the cold winter days. He is healthy now, but his sweater is his favorite thing in the house. If I want him to stop doing something, all I have to do is to put a sweater somewhere he can't get it and let him know I did it, he stops immediately to gets his sweater back. To us it might seem that a pet bed, a placemat, a sweater is no big deal, but for them it can mean a whole world. It can mean a safe place, love, warmth, life itself.

While looking through the shop I found crate mats that can be places in a carrier, I loved them so much. I have a problem with Cuteness, he is terrified of carriers, he hates them with passion. Which is understandable, he too was rescued from very abusive people and although now he is a 40lb giant with razor sharp claws, when he is in a cage he feels powerless and all the fears come back. Having something he loves in a cage always helps, it's the smell for him, it must smell familiar. After looking at these pet beds for a little longer a thought occurred to me, can they be stuffed full of catnip? I bet that would make Cuteness love that carrier. You can get custom orders in this shop, so I bet this can be arrange. These pet beds are double sided, which means... catnip between the layers.

If you have super-awesome fluffy friends, you might know the horror that happens next to their bowls. Not a problem, in The Homespun Loft you can buy placemats. In my house I'd need a placecarpet because my guys end up dragging their food all over the room, playing with it and hiding it from one another, but they are also crazy. Whatever my cat friends do with their food, they never eat it where they are supposed to. Hopefully yours aren't and you can keep everything clean with a sweet handmade placemat. A placemat would however help even in my house. The two of them love chasing one another, and if they knock down their water, they don't even stop to say "sorry" (they do stop to say sorry if they knock me down though). Water would end up all over the place and since I do put their water in my bedroom (otherwise they have to go into the kitchen where they start opening cabinets and slamming then shut so that I'd wake up and hug them), wet carpet is something I often have to deal with.

Well, I can talk about my cats and items for pets whole day, it's close to heart after all, but it's time to look at why you should buy from this seller and not another one. 100% customer satisfaction, great policies, very affordable, great quality, all patterns are original, so you will not find it anywhere else. As I already mentioned before, you can ask for a specialized item, just send a message to the seller and explain what you would like for yourself or your friend and your wish will come true. You can find out much, much more about this wonderful quilter by reading her blog, and following her on twitter and facebook.

Keep your fluffy friends happy, and if you don't have them, shelters are full of animals that need a forever or at least a temporary home.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Describing Art, Your Views, Policies and Everything Else

I decided to write this post yesterday when I was looking for shops to write about. I found a few shops with great items, very unique, very well done, but the sellers left everything blank in the policies and where they were supposed to write about themselves. Because of that I couldn't write about them. One thing all these shops had in common is the lack of sales. So, here is my verdict, if there is a space where you can type something, do it. People want to know everything they can about the seller, the product and the shop. This goes especially for online sales. Most of the time when I buy on line I have never seen the person I am buying from, and I don't know how well the transaction will go if I never bought there before. How can I know what to expect from this purchase? The only way is to read about it ether from others who bought there before (and if the store just opened, it's not an option) or to read it in the shop's policies.
People who buy handmade items often would like to know who created them, what their philosophy in life is, what inspired them, if there is nothing there to find out about this seller, I'd rather go buy from someone else whom I can relate to because they also live sitting by the river in the middle of the woods, or because they love this book by Terry Goodkind that I read a couple of month back. Yes, I know I'm addicted to his books, what can I do, Richard Rahl is the best wizard ever after all. 

Here is a list of things I want to know about shops that sell arts and crafts: how can I pay? Checks, money-orders, credit cards, paypal? How will it be delivered and how long will it take to get to me? It the item already made, or will it be made after I order it? Can I return or exchange it? What moves the artist, what inspires him/her? Why did he/she start this shop? A cool story about their arts and crafts would be greatly appreciated as well. What is the item made of, is there a deeper meaning in it, a story? The more I know, the more likely I am to buy. Honestly I am more likely to buy from the shop that says they do not accept returns then from the one that says nothing in regards to returns at all. I'd rather know that it will take a month to get my item here so that I can order it ahead of time then not know when I'll get it, even if it will end up taking only 2-3 days in the second shop.

Item explanations and information about artists work in galleries as well. This is exactly why every artist (I call everyone who creates something, be it fine arts or sweaters an artist) should have an artist statement. Go a step further and type up a short description of an item if there is any hidden meaning or a story behind it. My husband and I were displaying our art in this one show twice, last year and this year. We had much more success this year because we typed up descriptions for almost every painting. I hear a few people say things like "Look this guy doesn't just paint, he has a whole story written, this is so cool" and "This is so worth it, look at the quality, the shadows, and there is a whole story about it." Such a small addition to the shop can help increase your sales significantly. If people wanted to buy an item without knowing anything about it's creator or the meaning behind it, the story of it's creation they would've gone shopping in Walmart. People who buy handmade are those who want to know the whole story, the more of it the better. They want to be able to associate with it, to be able to look at a painting and feel some connection to it, wear a jewelry and be able to tel friends who made it and what it's made of.

Think about your shopping experience, what would make a difference for you when you shop on line for some hand-made goodness? Come up with as many pieces of information as you can and put it in your profile, shop policies and item descriptions. If you have a problem figuring out what to write, look through other shops? What did you like there? What caught your eye?

When writing policies, don't assume everyone is out to get you. Yes, there are some people out there who might want to scam you, but most are honest. When you have a phrase that seems like you don't trust your customers, you will lose them. People like sellers who are nice and helpful, who will go an extra mile to make customers happy, not make customers go an extra mile to make a clean and profitable transaction. Don't show your aggravation at some questions, or requests, be polite. Here is an example: I had people come to me and ask if I can paint beach, bottles, cats and so on. This is what they ask after they look at my artwork, do any of my pieces look like I paint cats? or bottles? or beach? I probably could paint it all, but it's not my style, and it would take me too long to readjust myself to drawing something out of the ordinary like that. I would like to do custom orders, and wanted to include it in my profile, but I don't care much for drawing and painting things I don't normally do. The way I worded it was "if you like what I have in this shop and want something similar, but more personal, I can probably do it. If you would like something that doesn't really look like anything I have here, convo me and I at the very least can tell you who would be a good artist for the job." By writing it this way I opened myself up to communication, making myself more approachable and since I do know many good artists and we are all helping each other whenever we can it would not be a waste of time ether way. Since my husband is an artist too, I can refer some of those possible orders to his shop as well.

And now I am going to go back to finishing that small painting I started today and perhaps I'll be able to hit the bad before the sunrise for a change.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Doodle Boop Designs by Lauren Dabbs

Doodle Boop Designs is yet another wonderful shop you can find on etsy. It's been open for only a couple on month and it already looks great. I personally love this stone clippie here, it looks punk and very modern. You can find some crocheted hair accessories and jewelry in this shop as well as ribbon clips. One thing I wanted to mention is that this seller is doing really well in establishing her brand. She created tags with the name of the company on it, store looks professional and not messy. For a shop that just opened 2.5 month ago it's very impressive. I can't wait to see the direction it will go in the future.

Lauren already made a few sales and has a 100% positive feedback. I love the clearly defined policies as well. All in all, it's not only an example of a good craftsmanship, it is also a good example of a shop headed for success.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Sisterly Creationz, Elegant Jewelry by Tiffany Coble

Elegant, beautiful, and with taste, what can be better? The only thing that can be better is all that plus handmade. This is exactly what you will get from this jeweler. I really love her taste, it shows in her jewelry designs. Combination of shapes and colors of the crystals is simply beautiful, on the necklace here for example it flows well, purple complements pink really well. This necklace has different cut beads, small smooth beads highlight the larger once. All in all a very good design with an elegant, soft look. As soon as I saw this shop, this beautiful style that can be seen over and over in every piece she makes, attracted my attention. Now, here is another thing I noticed. Very often when looking at handmade jewelry I find that wire doesn't look neat. It would look irregular and unprofessional. Tiffany has everything under control in that department. As someone who used to make dolls out of copper wire when I was little, I can tell you, shaping wire can be a pain. It's a skill that can be learned however, just takes a more time, the end result is worth it. The bottom line is, you can have beautiful, elegant jewelry made by a jeweler that cares about producing good quality product AND it's very, very affordable.


Now, I must be hones, there is one thing I don't like about this shop, she hasn't made a lot of sales. I know, the shop opened this year and didn't have much time to grow, but the jewelry there is too beautiful not to buy. What are people doing? GO GO GO SHOP THERE!!! With jewelry like that, there should be at the very least 10 sales a day... that is if Tiffany can keep up with it. The feed back is still 100% though, so as of now every person who bought from this shop, loved what they got, not that I'm surprised by it, it's freaking gorges.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

My Little Niche Etsy Shop and Wooden Dolls

OMGITSOADORABLE!!!! There, I got it out of my system. I've been wondering where on earth I'll be getting toys for my future kids, well, now I know. These adorable hand-painted dolls are made of wood, though they shouldn't be chewed since they are painted with acrylic paint, and that's a bad food choice, they are nevertheless a good choice for kids over 3 years of age. Toy industry produces more or less the same toys. Every kid has them and if they don't they can easily get them. Who else in your kids class was something like this? Now here is my advise, get them for your kids before they get to the "it's not cool, I want a power ranger, everyone in school has them" age or just tell your kid to shut up and start playing (just kidding, just kidding, be nice to them). Honestly, the only reason no one in school has these dolls is because those kids just aren't cool enough for it. Hmmm... I just got an idea... take your kids and ask them to make up a super hero, or some fantastical creature that they would like to be, this will give their creativity a workout. After that go to this shop and explain the seller about this character and she will help make a wooden doll of this character. How many kids can say they have a doll like that? The same idea can work for wedding toppers if you don't want traditional wedding. I can only imagine a space pirate groom and bride cake toppers. Do you see why I love these dolls so much?

Oh, and really quick (because my little Monkey cat is attacking my shoulder) about why else you should shop there: 100% customer satisfaction, pleasant artist and good policies.

Friday, May 13, 2011

Addition Style, Jewelry gone Hardware

This shop is so unique, so.... so... so... oh I don't even know how to put it in words. Honestly, if anyone would've told me that you can make jewelry from nuts and washers, I don't even know what I'd think. When I saw this jewelry, however, I was amazed. It looks so stylish, modern, fresh and absolutely unique. Because it's made out of things you can find in a hardware store it is also very affordable. I often shop for idea in stores, see interesting things and get an idea of how to use it in art, I guess most artists do, but I honestly would've never imagined hardware jewelry looking that good. Now I just have to come up with an excuse as to why I absolutely must buy a few (not easy after I blew all of my extra money on books last week.) Any one has any ideas?

On to the next part tough. Great seller, great customer service, great jewelry, 100% customer satisfaction. This seller accepts checks and money orders btw, not all etsy sellers do, some go for paypal only. I have a few friends who absolutely refuse to get a bank account or a credit card, so they have a little problem shopping on line because of it. I'm always happy to see shops who give more payment options for those people.

Handmade jewelry bought from the master jeweler has one extra benefit, you can usually ask for small changes, different beads, different length and so on. this seller will do it for you as well. 

Pink Diamond Design Jewelry

Pink Diamond Design is another fabulous jewelry shop on etsy. Designs from this shop have very unique look, especially the one you see here. Jeweler uses a combination of materials in creating her designs. Use of antique jewelry and chains is responsible for a lot of pieces in this shop for example. For a reuse/recycle freak like myself it makes it that much better.

I saw a couple of items in this shop that I believe would be of great interest to the brides to be, bobby pins. I found two sets, one would go well with white while the other with blue. I'm sure if you'll contact this artist she will be able to make them in more colors though.

Jewelry is not the only thing you will find at Pink Diamond Design, you can find good customer service there as well. 100% customer satisfaction, good shop policies and communication are all there.

For those of you who would like to find out more about this jeweler, feel free to visit Pink Diamond Girl blog.

Love Lourie, Handmade Pincushions

WOO HOO blogger is back to normal and I can finally share this cool etsy shop I found a few days ago. This shop is a real treasure for those who love their sewing in all it's beauty and ease. Honestly, did you see this pincushion? It looks so cool, functional and decorative. Perfect for those who want to add more personality to their studio. Pincushions aren't the only tools of trade you will hind in this shop though, there are needle threaders and spool sitters as well.

Now a more practical matter. Seller is great, she has 100% customer satisfaction, policies are clear and easy to understand. She will answer your questions and listen to your concerns if you send her a message. Very pleasant seller. With her, you are in good hands.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Handmade Jewelry by Sadie Designs






















Here go... shiny things.... I found another incredible jewelry shop on etsy. This jeweler is doing something different from what most jewelers do. Normally you will find crystals cut into perfect shapes all looking identical. In this shop mother nature get's a say in how each piece is going to look like. The way crystals are cut and used allows for unique patterns and shapes that only nature can provide.
There is an extra advantage in having crystals in their natural form used in jewelry: crystal therapy. Shape of the crystal does play a roll in how crystal will effect the body after all.

Now very briefly (because I'm typing this at 4:30 am and if I stay up any longer this post will stop making any sense as my brain will slowly dissolve) about customer service: It's looking great. 100 % customer satisfaction, very friendly seller and clear cut store policies. This jeweler also has sales and who doesn't love sales. Even without sales though this jewelry is very affordable. So, check it out and fall in love with Sadie Designs

You can also check out her blog, gives you a better feel for who this artist is.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Display Your Heart

Display Your Heart is a charming shop on etsy. It's a good place to find items you need to decorate your house, to give it a little bit of your own character, to help it stand out. I know that if was having a baby, this is where I'd be looking for room decor. At Display Your Heart you can find many styles of letters, coasters, frames and much much more that would suit almost any home. And if you can't find the style you are looking for, just contact the artist and ask for a custom order.

Now about customer satisfaction, this shop has 157 feedbacks and they are all positive, 100% customer satisfaction. Am I surprised? not at all. Reading policies I got the idea that this artist cares about customers and will work with them. Items are also good quality. They are protected with sealant and that's very important, especially for items that will be moving around and used, like clipboards for example. Just to give you an idea of how important it is, during one of the shows a wall (4x8 plywood) fell on my husbands artwork, not a scratch on any of his peaces while other people got their art damaged by the same wall. Not saying you should be throwing those cool letters around, or take a nail to it, sealant doesn't make them indestructible after all, but if you drop it by accident, it has better chance of not getting damaged.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Hemlock Hollow Creations and Wonderful Jewelry

Another day, and here comes a review of another shop, Hemlock is a place where you will find the jewel you love. What makes this artist different in my eye is that she keeps on changing her designs day after day until it’s perfect. I remember her updating her hummingbird pedant over and over trying different techniques and looks. I’m a little too lazy to do it, I get it done and forget about it, she keeps working until it’s perfect. Another thing I love about this shop is all the nature inspired items. Take the pedant photo here, doesn’t it look exactly like a real maple leaf? It takes skills to get it this perfect. Most importantly, it’s not unnaturally perfect. You will never find perfectly symmetrical and straight leaf in nature, they are all different. This pedant shows the true beauty of nature and it’s uniqueness, it’s perfect imperfections. To me at least it’s the real charm of this pedant, the real beauty of it and the real talent of the artist shining along with silver.
There is one little thing that saddens me when I look through this shop though, it’s that my ear piercings are grown in, so I can’t wear those wonderful earrings she makes, and who wouldn’t be saddened by that? These elegant earrings are absolutely incredible.

As always, I would only recommend friendly sellers, and this one is among them. Wonderful, kind person who would treat you really well. Just looked through the policies just in case (even though I already knew she wouldn’t give buyers any problems for a while now), it’s nice and short, has everything you want to know in a short and understandable text. Perfect seller and great artist.

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

New CreatioNZ Etsy Shop



NewCreationz is another shop I ran into on Etsy. You can find very beautiful, charming photography in this shop. I absolutely love the cards I found there, the one featured here is my favorite so far. This artist shows nature in it's best, bringing out the full beauty of the greatest miracles on earth, flowers, trees, leaves, and beautiful beaches. Just looking at these images makes me want to run into the woods and experience it first hand.

Oh and have I mentioned there are great sales there today?

Stop by this wonderful shop and check out their cards, Photography, magnets and much, much more.

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Etsy, Place to Buy and Sell Handmade

I found my way to etsy about a year ago. I found many great artists and a lot of great arts and crafts there. I haven't touched my account on Etsy for a while, but now I'm finally back and loving it. There are a lot of changes that make my life so much easier. Lets get back to basics though, what is Etsy? It's a site where people can sell anything that is art/craft as well as supplies for them. It works a lot like ebay, except this one is made specially for artists and those who would like to buy art. The whole site is organized into categories so that you can easily find your way around. Each seller gets his or her own store which also can be organized. Etsy doesn't charge much, it's $0.20 to list an item plus 3.5% after the item is sold.

Problems I had with etsy a year ago were few, but they are now fixed. It was difficult, for example, to have discounts. You had to sell an item for a regular price, charge the customer full price and after this payment went through you had to send the money back (this is how it worked with paypal at least.) Now, they have a new coupon system. You can create as many coupon codes as you would like and people can use the coupon code when purchasing from your store. This is such a great and helpful tool as it not only makes sales easier, but it can also help track customers. For example, you can create a coupon code specially for Facebook and promote it on Facebook only. When someone uses a coupon you will know where this customer came from. This can help figure out what sites are better to advertise on.

Another great change is apps. You can now add apps to your account and they can help you stay on track as well. One app I added is for international shipping. It automatically calculates shipping cost so that you don't have to. I can't begin to describe how hard it was for me to figure out sipping costs to put in my listings. Since I didn't want to charge people too much, I would end up sending the money back if the shipping cost was more than a dollar less than what I got.

Etsy is constantly improving, they do their best to help shops and teach sellers how to make more sales. I constantly receive very helpful emails from them with tutorials on how to take better pictures, how to promote, how to use their new features and much much more. Information I learned there alone is worth it.

I plan on using my Etsy shop to sell my original artwork while selling prints through Red Bubble. There are many people though who sell prints through Etsy as well. They make prints and sell them as they would any other item. I am too lazy to make my own prints however, so I figured I'd rather divide the load between the two sites.

Monday, May 2, 2011

GIMP, Free Immage Editing Sowtwear


I like everything free, who would want to spend money anyway? Photoshop is way to expensive as far as I see it, especially when you can get something very similar for free.

GIMP has all the functions you need to make a t-shirt design, digital painting, and just an every day image editing. I love it to death and I don't know what I would do without it. All of the photographs I take go through GIMP to adjust brightness and contrast, I design my business cards with it, I create t-shits designs with it and I make greeting cards with it.
For people like me, who need a program that can do all that, but have no money to buy one GIMP is perfect. On the other hand, for those who do have enough money to buy an expensive program, GIMP is good for as well, because why would you want to spend money when you don't have to?

GIMP, I'm in love with you.